A better world is possible - Global Commons Institute

Copyright Bruce Nixon 2010. All rights reserved. This electronic copy is provided free for personal, non-commercial use only.
www.brucenixon.com
under Rolling Thunder, Operation Linebacker and the Mai Lai Massacre? President Richard Nixon is recorded
as saying of North Vietnam in 1971, “We’re gonna level that goddam country”.
Clearly past and present injustices, hypocritical foreign policies, continuing Western abuses of power and
unethical activities play a major part in hostility to the West and aid the recruitment of terrorists. The
emergence of Al-Qaeda, however unjustifiable its acts of carnage are, partly results from unscrupulous and
inhumane Western strategies affecting larger numbers. Are Al-Qaeda’s attacks on Western cities in effect
war against powerful nations against whom they otherwise feel completely powerless?
Vested interests are a major factor in the perpetuation of war and violence. No money is to be made out of
prevention and conflict resolution. Africa is awash with weapons. The arms trade arms trade, legal and
illegal, is enormous. Military spending is now over $1trillion compared with only $79 billion spent on
development aid. It is approaching the highest level reached in the depths of the Cold War. There is an
unholy alliance between the Pentagon, arms manufacturers and Congress because of jobs, lobbying and the
cost of electioneering - the “Iron Triangle” described by General Eisenhower as the “military-industrial
complex.” There has been a continuing vested interest in the use of lethal chemicals produced by large
corporations e.g. the use of lethal gas in WW1 and in concentration camps in WW2; Agent Orange in
Vietnam and gas and chemicals in the Middle East throughout the Twentieth Century (e.g. by the British in
the twenties and by Saddam Hussein against the Kurds). Jobs are at stake; a rapid transition to peaceful
purposes is needed. A New Green Deal presents abundant opportunities for a far more constructive use of
human skills and manufacturing resources.
Throughout history war has made money lenders, armaments manufacturers and suppliers of provisions for
the military wealthy. Banking has been deeply involved in empire building and war. Bankers financed the
merchants who travelled to the East to bring back merchandise. They financed the East India Company and
the British Empire. Great wars were underwritten by bankers like the Rothschilds who grew enormously rich
through debt creation and interest that had to be repaid through taxation. Without the bankers, wars on the
scale of Napoleonic wars would have been impossible.
Most wars in human history have been resource wars, like those fought by the remarkably successful English
in building their Empire. Now resource wars will be caused by shortages of food and resources such as oil,
gas, minerals, land and water. In his British Humanist Association's Darwin Day lecture, Sir David King argued
that the war against Iraq in 2001 is likely to be just the first of many resource wars in the 21 st century. His
predictions may come true unless we find ways of distributing the world’s resources fairly between all
peoples. That is one of biggest issues confronting the world in the 21 st century. Up to now, rich nations, with
powerful military machines, have systematically robbed less powerful nations, lacking technological expertise
and too weak to challenge them, to make themselves rich without questioning their right to do so. Clearly
that process will be challenged more and more. Global institutions need to tackle these issues.
What is best for security?
Frequently violence and war could have been prevented if those in power were more sensitive to peoples
who felt injustices, threats to their safety, or wanted greater autonomy or independence. That is my
interpretation of conflicts in India after Independence and the violent history of the Tamils in Shri Lanka.
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